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Youth make Fergus Falls mission
Published Saturday, June 28, 2008
Photo by Zak Holtan
Volunteers of Hilltop Celebration church work on putting together a drawer at Health Resources as part of their youth group trip to Fergus Falls.
While most mission groups travel to places around the world that are in need of help, a Fergus Falls mission group is taking its services to organizations in its own community.
Members of the Hilltop Celebration Church have been conducting good deeds throughout the week at various sites in the community.
“It’s so often that churches do missions elsewhere,” said youth pastor, Jeremy Mueller. “There are needs in our community, too.”
Mission workers started their week-long project on Sunday. And although they haven’t traveled far, Mueller said they’re doing what they can to treat it like a trip. All volunteers are staying at the church throughout the week and are asked not to use cell phones, unless it’s an emergency.
The group went to work early Thursday at the Health Resources LifeCare Center on Lincoln Avenue. The 18 volunteers painted bathrooms and signs, put together cabinets and cleaned donated strollers and high chairs.
Erin Tysver, the center’s coordinator, said the extra helping hands allowed the non-profit to accomplish a number of projects that had long been on the back burner.
“Some of this stuff hasn’t been updated in six years,” Tysver said.
Mission workers have also helped clean up the high school, volunteered at the Kids Against Hunger food packaging site and helped with a car wash that raised funds for an orphanage in Uganda.
The group is also planning on hitting the streets to hand out soft drinks.
“We want to make Jesus famous,” Mueller said.
Samantha Logan, 14, is enjoying the opportunity to make a positive impact in her own area.
“We can reach people in our community who don’t know Christ,” Logan said.
Logan said her daily tasks don’t feel like work, and although they haven’t left the Fergus community, she and her fellow missionaries feel like they’ve been traveling all week.
It’s the first year the church has tried out its local spin on missionary work, and Mueller said he’s looking forward to making it an annual event.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by justme (anonymous) on June 28, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a great idea. So many churches are having a hard time raising the money to send their groups to areas in greater need, whereas this one is using their own resources and creativity to help in our own community. Either way, it's so heartwarming to see our youth using their own free time to make this world a better place in any way that they can. Sometimes we need a reminder that there is hope. Way to go!!
Posted by ginger_ale1 (anonymous) on June 28, 2008 at 11:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What's a guy have to do to become famous in this world?
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